1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of attaching a fastening tape to a molded article and a mold for forming a cellular plastic or foam product for use as a cushioning material for an automobile seat or backrest.
2. Prior Art
It has thus far been proposed to use a fastening tape generally known as a velcro-like or surface-type fastener for attachment to a foam-molded article such as a seat cushion, the fastening tape having on its one side a gripping means typically embodied in the form of a multiplicity of hooks designed to engage with complimentary gripping means typically in the form of loops or eyes provided on an article such as a seat cover. The fastening tape is attached to such a foam-molded article during the molding of the latter as is known in the art.
Such tape attachment is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-18816 in which there is used a mold having a main cavity for receiving the hook-carrying face of a fastening tape and on each side of this main cavity, two small lateral cavities or grooves adhesively coated for holding the longitudinal marginal areas of the tape in place during the molding operation, the tape having on its back side a plurality of anchoring elements protruding into and anchoring a molding material in the mold cavities.
A similar means of attaching a fastening tape to a foam-molded article such as a seat cushion is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-60291 in which the tape is protected with a thin film disposed over its hook-carrying surface during molding and held in place, before and during molding, relative to the mold by a magnetic means, the tape having its longitudinal marginal areas adhesively fixed within the small cavities on opposite sides of the main cavity.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-102793 features the use of a base made of or associated with a resilient material received resiliently within the mold cavity and an attachment web of fabric carrying loops for engagement with complimentary hooks on a fastening tape, the base, web and tape being interconnected in this order with the hook-carrying face of the tape exposed to view.
The above prior art techniques have their respective approaches for protecting the fastening tape against penetration thereinto of a molding material before and during the molding process as by means of a protective film, a magnetic device and a resilient base extension, respectively.
These prior art devices have a drawback in that they are costly and complicated in the operation of attaching the fastening tape to a molded article.
Another common drawback is that the fastening tape is restricted in its dimension and location as these parameters are governed by the physical characteristics of the mold cavity in which the tape is received during the molding